Animated toy

ABSTRACT

AN ANIMATED TOY WHICH INCLUDES A HOLLOW UPPER BODY PORTION, A LOWER BASE PORTION AND A DRICE MEANS FOR ROTATING THE TOY ABOUT A PIN MEANS WHICH EXTENDS DOWNWARDLY BEYOND THE LOWER EXTREMITIES OF THE BASE PORTION. THE BODY PORTION HAS AN INTERIOR RECEIVING AREA WITH AN ACCESS OPENING THROUGH THE BODY PORTION, AND AN ACTUATOR IS POSITION IN THE RECEIVING AREA TO ACTUATE THE DRIVE MEANS TO MOVE THE TOY WHEN AN OBJECT IS DEPOSITED IN THE RECEIVING AREA THROUGH THE ACCESS OPENING AND THE OBJECT CONES IN CONTACT WITH THE ACTUATOR. A DISCHARGE OPENING REMOTE FROM THE ACESS OPENING EXTENDS THROUGH THE BODY PORTION SO THAT ROTATION OF THE TOY HAS A TENDCNCY TO DIS-   CHARGE OBJECTS FROM THE RECEIVING AREWA THROUGH THE DISCHARGE OPENING. THE ACTUATOR IS OF A RELATIVELY SMALL SIZE SO THAT ONLY THOSE OBJECTS WHICH ARE DEPOSITED IN THE AREA IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO CONTACT THE ACTUATOR WILL CAUSE THE TOY TO ROTATE. THE TOY WILL CONTINUE TO ROTATE UNTIL A MANUAL SHUT-OFF MEANS ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE TOY IS ENGAGED TO STOP THE DRIVE MEANS. THE LOWER MARGINAL PERIPHERY OF THE BASE PORTION HAS AN IRREGULAR SHAPE TO EFFECT UNEVEN MOVEMENT OF THE TOY AS IT ROTATES ABOUT THE DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING PIN MEANS.

Sept 20 1971 J. D. BRr-:sLw 3,605,325

NIMATED TOY Filed June 20, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTO 2 N EYS Sept 201971 J. D. BREsLow 3,605,325

ummm 'roy Filed June 20. 1969 2 Sheets sheet 2 l N v ENro R dEFFPEVD.PES/.OW

BYUWWwWM/Ammw ATTORNEYS 3,605,325 ANIMATED TOY Jeffrey D. Breslow,Chicago, Ill., assignor to Marvin Glass & Associates Filed .lune 20,1969, Ser. No. 835,154 Int. Cl. A63h 29/08 U.S. Cl. 46-42 9 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An animated toy which includes a hollow upperbody portion, a lower base portion and a drive means for rotating thetoy about a pin means which extends downwardly beyond the lowerextremities of the base portion. The body portion has an interiorreceiving area with an access opening through the body portion, and anactuator is position in the receiving area to actuate the drive means tomove the toy when an object is deposited in the receiving area throughthe access opening and the object comes in contact with the actuator. Adischarge opening remote from the access opening extends through thebody portion so that rotation of the toy has a tendency to dischargeobjects from the receiving area through the discharge opening. theactuator is of a relatively small size so that only those objects whichare deposited in the area in such a manner as to contact the actuatorwill cause the toy to rotate. The toy will continue to rotate until amanual shut-Cif means on the exterior of the toy is engaged to stop thedrive means. The lower marginal periphery of the base portion has anirregular shape to effect uneven movement of the toy as it rotates aboutthe downwardly extending pin means.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an animated toy, andmore particularly to an animated toy which may be used in combinationwith other items to provide an amusing and useful game.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an animatedobject or toy which not only is amusing but which is useful indeveloping individual reactions and manual dexterity, particularly withchildren.

More particularly, the present invention is embodied in an animated toywhich includes a body portion and a drive means mounted on the bodyportion for moving the toy about a supporting structure such as a flooror the like. A receiving area is dened on the body portion of the toy,and an actuating means is positioned in the receiving area to actuatethe drive means and move the toy when an object is deposited in thereceiving area in contact with the actuating means. The actuating meansis of a substantially smaller size than the receiving area whereby onlythose objects which are deposited in the receiving area in such a manneras to contact the actuating means will actuate the drive means to movethe toy.

Another object of the invention is to provide an animated toy as setforth in the preceding paragraph wherein the body portion is generallyhollow, with the receiving area and actuating means disposed in thehollow body portion so that the receiving area and actuating means arehidden from view to provide a chance-type game. An access openingextends through the body portion in communication with the receivingarea and through which an object may be deposited for chance contactwith the actuating means. If the actuating means is contacted by anobject, means are provided for discharging at least one object from thereceiving area in response to movement of the toy and thereby diminishthe number of kobjects stored in the area.

'United States Patent O CII 3,605,325 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 fice Afurther object of the invention is to provide an animated toy as setforth in the preceding paragraph wherein the drive means causes the toyto rotate about a generally vertical axis when the actuating means iscontacted by an object deposited in the receiving area, and wherein thereceiving area is bounded in part by a generally vertical cylindricalside wall having a hole in communication with a discharge opening in thebody portion, the hole and discharge opening being disposed generallyperpendicular to the axis of rotation of the toy so that rotation of thetoy causes the objects to ride along the interior of the cylindricalside wall with a tendency to discharge the objects from the receivingarea through the hole and the discharge opening.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an animated toy asset forth in the preceding paragraph wherein the receiving area isbounded in part by a generally ilat bottom wall which is in a tilteddisposition when the toy is not moving. The actuating means is disposedon the bottom wall of the receiving area but spaced from the lowestportion of the wall whereby a plurality of objects deposited in thereceiving area will tend to build up at the lowermost part of thereceiving area before overflowing into contact with the actuating means.The drive means will continue to rotate the toy once the actuating meansis contacted by an object and the objects in the receiving area will bethrown through the discharge opening until the drive means is stopped. Amanual shutoff means is exposed on the exterior of the toy for stoppingthe drive means. An elongated stick member is provided with the toy foruse by an individual to engage the shut-off means to stop rotation ofthe toy. The stick and shut-off means preferably are of sufficientlysmall size to require substantial manual dexterity in stopping the toyas it rotates to prevent discharge of all of the objects stored withinthe receiving area.

Thus it can be seen that the device described in the precedingparagraphs aids in developing individual reactions since one must actfast to shut oiT the drive means before all of the objects are thrownfrom the receiving area. In addition, considerable manual dexterity isrequired to gently deposit the objects, such as marbles or the like,into the receiving area so as not to disturb the remaining objects andcause them to contact the actuating means, as well as to grasp therelatively small elongated stick member as fast as one can and engagethe shut-off means to stop rotation of the toy.

An additional feature of the invention is the provision of a pin meansrotatably mounted on the base portion of the toy and extendingdownwardly beyond the lower extremities of the base portion so that thetoy rests on the pin means and at least one point at the lower marginalperiphery of the base portion in a tilted disposition. The pin 'means isdisposed approximately in vertical alignment with the center of gravityof the toy and the lower marginal periphery of the base portion has anirregular shape. The pin means is mounted on the base portion so as tobe independently rotatable relative to the base portion whereby thedrive means rotates the pin means at a relatively fast rate incomparison to the rotating movement of the toy itself, whereby the toyrotates about the pin means in an uneven manner as its irregular baseportion Vbumps along a supporting structure such as a floor.

scription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of ananimated toy embodying the concepts of the present invention, along withseveral items which may be used in conjunction with the toy for use as agame;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view, yon an enlarged scale, taken generally alongthe line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of certain interiorcomponents of the animated toy, particularly the actuating meanstherefor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings ingreater detail, an animated toy, generally designated 10, is shown inperspective in FIG. 1 and includes an upper, generally hollow bodyportion, generally designated 12, and a lower base portion 14. A pinmeans 16 (FIGS. 2 and 3) is rotatably mounted on the base portion 14 andextends downwardly beyond the lower extremities of the base portion sothat the toy rests on the pin means and at least one point at the lowermarginal periphery of the base portion 14 in a tilted disposition, asshown in FIG. 3, relative to a supporting structure such as a floor 18or the like. A drive means in the form of a motor 20 is mounted Within atoy on a bottom partition 22 for rotating or spinning the pin means 16to cause the toy to rotate about the pin means in tilted positionsangularly thereabout. Preferably, the pin means is mounted on thepartition 22 so as to be independently rotatable relative to the toy 10,and thus the base 14, and the motor has an r.p.m. which rotates or spinsthe pin 16 at a relatively fast rate in comparison to the rotation ofthe toy itself.

One feature of the invention is that the base 14 is formed wih anirregular shape so that as the toy rotates about the spinning pin 16,the toy will have an uneven movement somewhat simulating the jerkymovement of a mechanical robot. In the form of the invention shown inthe drawings, the base portion is generally rectangular in shape whenviewed in a vertical direction, the lower extremities of the baseportion being disposed in a common plane defined by the lower marginalperiphery 24 (FIG. 2) of the base portion 14, with the pin 16 extendingdownwardly beyond the plane 24. Actually, the base preferably has asquare shape so as to provide four equally spaced rises and falls inrelation to the bottom of the pin 16 to provide the aforementioned jerkymovement. Obviously, various irregular shapes may be employed.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, means are provided defining areceiving area 26 within the body portion 12 for receiving objects suchas marbles 28 (FIGS. 1 and 3) or the like. The receiving area 26 isbounded in part by a generally vertical cylindrical side wall 30 and agenerally flat bottom wall 32. A pair of diametrically disposed accessopenings 34 are provided in the upper portion of the toy above thereceiving area 26 and into which objects such as the marbles 28 may bedeposited so that they drop into the receiving area 26 onto the bottomwall 32 thereof. An actuating means, generally designated 36 and havingan actuator head 36a, is provided, with the head portion 36a thereof inthe receiving area 26 along the bottom wall 32 thereof. The actuatorhead 36a is shown centrally disposed within the receiving area 26, withan annular rim 38 thereabout. For reasons to be described hereinafter,the actuator head 36a is yof a substantially smaller size than the areaof the bottom wall 32 of the receiving area 26.

By means to be described in greater detail hereinafter, the actuatingmeans 36 is operatively connected to the motor drive means 20 so thatmovement of the actuator head in the direction of arrow A (FIGS. 2 and3), as

4 caused by contact of a marble 28 with the actuator head 36a, willcause the pin means 16 to spin and thereby cause movement of the toy 10about the pin means in the manner described above.

The cylindrical side wall 30 which bounds the receiving area 26 has apair of holes 40 formed therethrough and in communication with a pair ofdischarge openings 42 which are defined by the ends of arm portions 44of the toy. The holes 40 preferably are disposed at points angularlyabout the cylindrical wall 30 from the positions of the access openings34.

The actuator head 36a being of a substantially smaller size than thebottom wall 32 of the receiving area, pro vides a chance-like gamewhereby only those objects which are deposited in the receiving area insuch a manner as to contact the actuator head 36a will cause the motor20 to start. In addition, with the bottom wall 32 of the receiving area26 being tilted as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of objects in thereceiving chamber 26 will tend to build up at the lowest part of thereceiving area before overflowing into contact `with the actuator head36a.

Before going into a detailed description of the contacts and connectingmeans between the actuator means 36 and the motor drive means 20, ageneral description of the operation of the toy (as may be used in theform of a game) will now be described. However, it first should bepointed out that the drive motor 20 will continue to run once a marblecomes in contact with the actuator head 36a until the motor is stoppedby a manual shut-off means (described below) which includes a knob orhandle 46 disposed on the exterior of the toy. When the motor 20 isactuated, the knob 46 is disposed in a position raised from that shownin FIGS. 1 and 4. Tlhe motor then is stopped by depressing the knob byusing ones ngers or by using an elongated stick member 48?, shown inFIG. 1. Preferably, the stick member 48 is of a suiciently small size soas to require manual dexterity in grasping the stick and using it todepress the |knob 46 to stop the motor 20.

The operation of the device, as it might be applied in a game, is asfollows: Marbles are deposited through the access openings 34 into thebody portion of the toy whereupon the marbles fall by gravity into thereceiving area 26 onto the lower ewall 32 thereof. The body portion ofthe toy about the receiving area 26 and the cylindrical side wall 30 ofthe receiving area either may be transparent so as to permit aiming ofthe marbles or the body portion and side wall may be such as to preventvisual observation of the receiving area 26 to provide more of achance-like game. If a marble comes in contact with the actuator head36a, either by falling from the access openings 34 or by building upwithin the receiving area 26, the pin means 16 twill start to spin tocause the toy to rotate or move unevenly about the pin means 16 tendingto urge the marbles against the interior of the cylindrical side 'wall30 in an attempt to throw the marbles through the holes 40 in the walland out of the discharge openings 42 at the end of the arms 44 of thetoy. As soon as this begins to happen, a player is to react in an effortto stop movement of the toy before all of the marbles are dischargedfrom the receiving area. As mentioned above, to stop the motor 20 thestick member 48 must be grasped and used to depress the knob 46 to stopthe motor. Obviously, one or more players utilizing various coloredmarbles may play the game. Spin boards such as that shown by the numeral50 in FIG. 1 may be employed to determine the turns of the players orthe number of marbles which the player must deposit into the receivingarea l26. Various scoring means may be devised and determined by thenumber of marbles stored in or discharged from the receiving area 26.

Referring to FIGS. 2-4, the following is a detailed description of thecontacts and connecting means between the actuating means 316 and themotor drive means 20. The actuating means 36 is generally L-shaped (asviewed in FIG. 2) and has an upstanding leg portion 36b which has theactuator head 36a disposed on the upper end thereof, and a horizontalleg portion 36e which has a counterweight 52 secured to the free endthereof. The L-shaped actuator is pivoted to a housing, generallydesignated 54, by means of a pivot rod 56 which is secured to thehorizontal leg portion 36e generally intermediate the ends thereof. Thecounterweight 52 tends to pivot the actuating means in the direction ofarrow B (FIG. 2) so as to urge the actuator head 36a upwardly oppositethe direction of arrow A. A hook portion 58 extends upwardly from thehorizontal leg portion 36C generally intermediate the ends of the legportion. A first contact member 60 forms a leaf spring which engagesunder a shoulder on the hook portion 58 and is held by the hook portionin a. spaced relationship relative to a second contact member 64. Thecontact 64 is connected directly to one side of the motor by a lead wire65. The contact 60 is connected to the other side of the motor by meansof a series connection through a pair of batteries 66a and 66b. Theseries connection comprises the battery 66a which is engaged by thecontact `60, as at 68, a battery bracket 69 (FIG. 2) connecting thebatteries, a leaf bracket 70, and a lead wire 72. Thus it can be seen.that if the contacts 60, 64 are caused to come into engagement, a seriesconnection is made through the batteries 66a, 66b to the motor 20 toactuate the pin means 16 and move the toy as described above.

In operation, if an object falls onto the actuator head 36a, theactuating means 36 is pivoted about rod 56 and the contact l60 isreleased from under the shoulder on the hook portion 58. The resiliencyof contact 60 will cause it to spring into engagement with contact 64 tostart motor 20. As the contact `60 springs upwardly it engages a shaft74 to which is connected the stop handle 46, on the exterior of the toyand displaces the shaft and handle upwardly in the direction of arrowsC. The contacts 60, 64 will remain in engagement until the handle orknob 46 is moved downwardly opposite the direction of arrows C to movethe contact 60 back under the shoulder of the hook 58 (which is urgedupwardly by the counterweight `52) and out of engagement with contact64.

The foregoing detailed description has been given. for clearness ofunderstanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom as some modications will be obvious to those skilled in theart.

I claim:

1. In an animated toy which includes a body portion and drive meansmounted on the body portion for moving said toy about a supportingstructure such as a floor or the like, means defining a receiving areaon said body portion, and an actuating means positioned in saidreceiving area to actuate said drive means to move said toy when anobject is deposited in the receiving area in contact with the actuatingmeans, the actuating means being of a substantially smaller size thanthe receiving area whereby only those objects which are deposited in thereceiving area in such a manner as to contact the actuating means lwillactuate the drive means.

2. The animated toy of claim 1 wherein said drive means will continue torun once the actuating means is contacted by an object, and including amanual shut-off means on said toy for stopping the drive means.

3. The animated toy of claim 1 wherein said bod portion is generallyhollow with said receiving area and actuating means being disposedwithin the body portion so that the area and actuating means are hiddenfrom view, and including at least one access opening in said bodyportion in communication with said area and into which an object may bedeposited for chance contact with said actuating means.

4. The animated toy of claim 3 including means for discharging at leastone object from said receiving area should an object come in contactwith said actuating means.

5. The animated toy of claim 3 wherein said drive means causes said toyto rotate about a generally vertical axis when said actuating means iscontacted by an object, and including a discharge opening in said bodyportion generally laterally with respect to said axis and incommunication with said discharge opening so that rotation of said toyhas a tendency to discharge objects from said receiving area throughsaid discharge opening.

6. The animated toy of claim 5 wherein said receiving area is bounded inpart by a generally vertical cylindrical side wall having a hole incommunication with said discharge opening whereby rotation of the toycauses the objects to ride along the inside of said cylindrical sidewall until they enter said hole.

7. The animated toy of claim 6 wherein said receiving area is bounded inpart by a generally fiat bottom wall which is in a tilted dispositionwhen the toy is not moving, said actuating means being disposed inproximity with the bottom wall but .spaced from the lowest portion ofthe wall whereby a plurality of objects in said receiving area will tendto build up at the lowermost part of the receiving area beforeoverflowing into contact with said actuating means.

8. The animated toy of claim 5 wherein said drive means will continue torotate the toy once the -actuating means is contacted by an object, andincluding a manual shut-off means exposed on the exterior of the toy forstopping the drive means.

9. In combination with the toy defined in claim 8, an elongated stickmember of a size to engage said shutoff means to stop rotation of thetoy.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,490,144 12/ 1949 Masten273--144 2,535,157 12/1950 Radovan 46--70 3,251,155 5/1966 Bjork 46-423,423,872 1/ 1969 Dodson 46-43 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner D. L.WEINHOLD, JR., Assistant Examiner

